Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Episode Date: September 27, 2023

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight breaking news, the bombshell ruling on former President Donald Trump, a New York judge finding that Trump committed fraud for years, exaggerating his net worth by billions of dollars to secure loans and favorable deals for his real estate business. What this means for Trump's civil case set to begin in just days. Also tonight, the historic images in Michigan, President Biden becoming the first U.S. president to join a picket line standing with United Auto Workers who, walked off the job. What he said when asked if members of that union should get a 40% pay raise and how soon Trump will make that same visit as the two men battle for the critical blue-collar vote. Murder charges dropped a Philadelphia judge dismissing a case against a city cop accused of shooting and killing a man in his car, the emotional moments outside that courthouse, and why the DA is vowing to appeal. Overseas, more than 60 people killed and 100 more injured

in a massive explosion at a fuel plant. The disaster unfolding in a disputed area of Azerbaijan, where a mass exodus is underway, why tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians are desperate to escape the area. Plus, new video shows the moment a jack-in-the-box employee pulled a gun on a customer at the drive-thru window and opened fire, the menu item they were allegedly fighting over. And the beehives swooping in to help one of Beyonce's biggest fans

after he was told his wheelchair could not fit on a plane, meaning he would miss for concert. The moment he was finally able to meet his idol face-to-face after waiting 25 years. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. We begin top story tonight with that breaking news right here in New York. A judge ruling that former President Donald Trump committed fraud repeatedly and frequently. for years. According to the ruling, Trump and his associates knowingly lied about his net worth on multiple filing, sometimes exaggerating the figures by billions of dollars. The judge says

those lies allowed Trump to secure favorable loans to support his real estate empire. The judge also ruling that Trump lied about the value of many of his assets. In one instance, claiming his penthouse apartment at Trump Tower was over 30,000 square feet when it was actually under 10,000. In the sweeping 35-page ruling, the judge also said that Trump's sons, Eric and Don Jr. are liable for fraud. Critically, this ruling tonight will allow for New York Attorney General Latisha James lawsuit against the former president to move forward. That case set to begin on Monday. Trump already slamming this ruling on social media, calling the judge a, quote, Trump hater and maintaining he did nothing wrong here. So I want to get right to NBC News,

senior Capitol Hill correspondent Garrett Hake, who also covers the Trump campaign. Garrett, walk us through the judge's decision here. What exactly was said in this 35-page ruling? Well, Alison, the judge really excoriating the former president and former real estate developer, basically saying that throughout his career, he inflated or deflated the value of his properties to suit himself in various transactions. He would raise their values so they could get better loan terms against them or lower their value so we could get cheaper insurance on those same properties. He even, as you pointed out, artificially inflated the size of his own penthouse apartment to increase its value in a way that the judge pointed out is not the kind of thing

that he, as a professional real estate developer, would have done by accident. In fact, the judge goes so far as to say that Mr. Trump's financial statements were based in a fantasy world, a direct quote, not the real world. So really taking the former president to task here for of financial fraud across all of his New York-based businesses. And then, of course, the trial itself will move forward to determine kind of what happens next and what the final financial penalty will be. So, Garrett, at this point, do we have any indication of what, if any, immediate consequences this verdict will mean for the former president's businesses in New York as well as the other

defendants? Well, the former president says his attorneys say that he's going to appeal all of this. But the consequences, as they stand right now, are severe. even without the financial penalty element, the attorneys are going to get fined, sort of a small amount in the scope of things. But the judge also ordered the dissolution, basically, of any of these Trump properties as they exist in New York, meaning the Trump organization, any of these other LLCs, cannot do business in New York. They'd have to move into receivership. Now, that's the kind of thing that would take time even in a best case scenario from a law enforcement perspective, but will

certainly be appealed to the hilt by the former president who holds those properties, those businesses in such high regard. Again, that's just the penalties on the front end of this. We still have the trial itself beginning Monday, which would set any potential financial penalties. The Attorney General in New York is asking for $250 million in damages, Allison. All right. Garrett Hake, thank you. We appreciate it. For more on the legal ramifications of this ruling, let's bring in NBC News, legal analyst Danny Savalos. Danny Garrett described it right there as saying this is the front end of it, the trial itself. You still have to have that. The rule here. The judge basically saying, absolutely, fraud was committed in terms of these documents,

how you described your businesses here. That is the heart of Attorney General Leticia James's lawsuit, right? So when we talk about this as a front end, there's more to it. If that has already been determined, what's the rest? And is there any chance that there is an outcome that is favorable for the former president if this has already been decided? It's confusing because the judge has already issued an order or an opinion that there was fraud, but at the same time, the case is moving to trial. So why? Well, that's because the judge granted partial summary judgment. In other words, summary judgment's hard to win, but if you can show a judge that at the end of discovery, all the facts are in, and judge, there are undisputed facts, and based on those

undisputed facts, you don't need to send this to a jury, you don't need to be a fact finder. You can just decide the issues of law before we ever get to trial. And that's exactly what happen here. In summary judgment is commonly made as a motion very rarely granted because it's just such a high bar to take a case away from a trial or in the case of a judge-only trial, the fact finder, which is the judge. So what happened here, the judge concluded that the counts as to fraud under the New York state law that the office of the attorney general brought it under, that the plaintiff had proved the case, doesn't need to go to trial. There are remaining counts and issues that have to be resolved at a trial, but at least as to that count, that first one, the fraud one, that is

deemed decided, although it is appealable, as would be a trial verdict when this case goes to trial. From your standpoint, is this an incredibly significant ruling, though? It's very significant. Winning on summary judgment is rare. It's not easy to do. The standard is very high. I mean, just if you're playing odds, the odds are every summary judgment motion is going to be denied. By the way, the defendants, the Trump defendants, move for summary judgment as well, summarily denied. They lost on all counts there. But in this case, and the judge addresses that in his opinion. So this case moves to trial, and now, I mean, the defendants are certainly on the ropes because it now heads to trial in a courtroom helmed by a judge who, from this

opinion, doesn't think much of the defendant's case. You know, when you look at some of the immediate possible consequences of that, and Garrett touched a bit on it, the judge did order some of Trump's business licenses rescinded. What does that mean for the Trump organization and as it exists in New York right now? Is it difficult for them to do business right now? Is it impossible for them to do business right now? Or will that all be put on pause because there's an appeal? There are probably a hundred or so Trump entities that are associated with the cancellation of the company certificate that came out today. So the answer to that is, I don't know that anybody knows for sure because of the interplay, the relationship between all of these companies,

be they subsidiaries or related entities or whatever the case may be. So a lot of people who work for those entities are tonight wondering, gee, where does that leave me? Especially if they're with an entity or a company that isn't one of the ones that had its business certificate canceled. So the ripple effects from this have yet to be determined, but it could end with the companies that hold the Trump properties, which are huge assets for the Trump organizations. that they could be, their ownership could now be in limbo. And, you know, Trump's attorneys have accused the court of essentially, or the government, the office of the attorney general,

of trying to privatize their companies. So they're sort of putting it out there that it's the government's effort to try and take over these companies. That's not really the case. They're looking to cancel the business certificates based on fraud under New York state law. One thing I have to ask you about before I let you go because as someone who reads a lot of legal stuff

as it relates to the former president these days, but definitely does not have a legal degree. One thing that stood out to me, and I don't feel like I've seen before, was the fact that this judge find the former president's legal team for arguments that they had made to try to say that there wasn't a basis, a legal basis for this case to begin with. What is going on there, and how rare is it to see something like that?

Judge Ngoron pointed out in his opinion that some of these issues that the defendants raise have been raised before. they went up on appeal to the appellate division. They were determined, and now the defense is raising them again. And there is nothing, Ellison, that a court dislikes more than something that wastes the court's time and resources. And re-raising arguments that have already been decided is one sure way to draw the ire of a judge.

And he pointed that out in his opinion. He called them bogus, right? He called them bogus, yes. And of course, the defense says, no, that's not the case here. We have legitimate, appealable issues. raising arguments were within what we call Rule 11. It's not non-frivolous, or excuse me, it's not frivolous. So we're going to continue with these. But the judge says that by raising these after they've already been determined, you're wasting the court's time, essentially. I'm paraphrasing,

but that was what you can draw as an inference from the opinion. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the rest of this trial. Danny Savalas, thank you. We appreciate all of your insight. Thank you. Now let's turn to our other major headline, a watershed moment in United States labor history. President Joe Biden, the first U.S. president to walk a picket line in modern times, joining striking auto workers, shifting from his usual distance from contract negotiations. All of this comes against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential race with former President Trump set to visit Michigan tomorrow. Gabe Gutierrez is there. In a historic visit, a U.S. president on the picket line, throwing his full-throated support

behind the striking United Auto Workers. He gave up a lot, and the companies were in trouble. But now they're doing incredibly well. And guess what? You should be doing incredibly well, too. President Biden and a General Motors Plan outside Detroit, wearing a UAW hat and standing shoulder to shoulder with Union President Sean Fane.

It's about the auto workers who are part of the fabric of the working class of this country. The Union has a number of demands, including 40% pay hikes. Today the president said he supports bargaining for that. Each automaker offering roughly 20% raises. The White House has not been directly involved in the negotiations. Do you think the president has been as involved as he should have been during this whole process?

No, I don't. Ford worker Tamika Ellis thinks the president should have come sooner. I know he's busy and he has a schedule, but I do believe that because this is very huge and how it can affect the economy, that he should have been a little more involved. His visit comes a day before Republican frontrunner, former President Trump, is expected here in this critical battleground state

to aggressively court blue-collar workers as he skips the GOP primary debate. The Trump campaign argues that Biden administration's push for electric vehicles will end up costing union jobs. He's selling our automobile companies, everything right down the tubes. It's expected to be a key issue

in the 2024. presidential campaign, unions and other industries from culinary workers in Las Vegas to health care workers in multiple states are considering their own work stoppages. Do you think this is a big moment for labor? I think so. I think this is more than just the United Auto Workers. I think this is for the working class itself as well. But the stakes are high. According to the latest NBC News poll, just 37% of voters approve of President Biden's handling of the economy. And Republicans have a 21 point advantage when voters were asked. which political party handles it better. Phil Foster is a Stalantis worker,

now struggling to make ends meet at home during the strike on $500 a week. For him, the president's visit is crucial. I'm hoping that the push from the White House helps us out. We could definitely use his support. And NBC News, senior White House correspondent, Gabe Gutierrez, joins us now from Wayne, Michigan. Gabe, have the automakers responded after the president's visit?

Notably, no, Allison, but GM has previously said that our focus is not on politics, but continuing to bargain in good faith. Negotiations with all three automakers continue. Allison? Gabe, as you spoke to those union members who were out there on the picket line, what was their general feeling about how this strike is going? Well, Allison, the feeling is a strike could go on for some time. But as you heard there in the piece, many of these auto workers feel that this is more about just this one particular strike. They think that this comes after years of concessions and their voices, they feel, are finally being heard. And part of that is because of the election of that UAW president, Sean Fane.

They believe that he is speaking for them and not backing down in the face of these negotiations. But the question will be, what will come of these negotiations? will they be able to get some of the price, the wage increase increases that they are seeking. And again, they, the ones I spoke with said that they were very grateful to have President Biden here on the picket lines as this becomes a huge issue in the 2024 presidential campaign, Allison. Gabe Gutierrez in Wayne, Michigan. Thank you. While President Biden hits the picket line, a growing number of Democrats on Capitol Hill are calling on their colleagues, Senator Bob Menendez, to resign. Menendez indicted on bribery and corruption charges defiant, saying he will stay in office. All this, says the House struggles to pass a funding deal to avoid a government shutdown.

NBC's Ryan Nobles has more. A day after defiantly denying bribery allegations and facing growing calls from fellow Democrats to step down, New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez tonight back on Capitol Hill, saying he will not resign. Why won't you resign, sir? Senator Menon? Because I'm innocent. What's wrong with you, Benendezzo? The growing list of Democrats calling for his resignation, now including New Jersey's other senator, Cory Booker, writing, faith and trust in Menendez has been shaken to the core, all after that indictment accusing Menendez of accepting wads of cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes as bribes.

President Biden still silent about Menendez, but tonight releasing this video on another growing drama, the looming government shutdown. It's time for these Republicans in the House to start doing their job. while Speaker Kevin McCarthy is calling for a meeting with the president. The president can really come down to this and make sure government stays open. But McCarthy is still struggling to get the support of a handful of hardline conservative holdouts on a stopgap measure to keep the government funded, with just four days to go until a potential shutdown. There is political risk for both sides. A new poll shows 40% of Americans will blame President Biden and Democrats if there's a shutdown,

while 33% will blame Republicans. while the paychecks of government workers, like TSA agent Alicia Dalford, hang in the balance. If you have children, you have families, all of them will be greatly impacted. And it's not just federal employees, it's everyone, it's the economy as well. Ryan Nobles joins us now. Ryan, where do negotiations stand tonight? Well, there are negotiations happening all over the Capitol, frankly, Allison. And we're dealing with House Republicans trying to come up with their own version of a short-term spending bill.

while at the same time attempting to pass a number of appropriations bills. The Senate now releasing its own version of a continuing resolution that includes things like funding for Ukraine. All of these things are likely to not have enough votes to pass both the House, the Senate, and be signed into law by President Biden. And right now, lawmakers are simply running out of time when it comes to the possibility of a government shutdown. Ryan, when you look at where things stand now and if you can guess a little bit for us, What are the odds of averting a shutdown here? Listen, if I were a betting man, and I'm not, but if I were a betting man, I would certainly bet on there being a government shutdown.

And simply because of the timing of everything, we're only four days away right now, essentially only three business days away. Even if there were to be some grand bargain that was struck between the House, the Senate, and the White House. Within the next 24 hours, there would just be an amount of time that it requires for a piece of legislation like that to get through both changes. and then get to the White House. There simply just is not enough time. And that if there was a bargain at this point, Alison, there doesn't appear to be a grand bargain happening anytime soon. Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles, thank you. With the possibility of a government shutdown looking more and more possible every day, I want to bring in Politico congressional reporter Daniela Diaz to help us do a bit of a deep dive here. Danielle, let's pick up on what

Ryan said there. He said he is not a betting man, but if he were, he would have. He would bet on a shutdown. What do you think and remind us, if you can, of some of the biggest sticking points right now in terms of everyone reaching a deal? Alison, I completely agree with Ryan. With the way things are working out right now, here on Capitol Hill, apologies from this closet that I'm coming to you live at right off the House chamber. What's happening right now is that the Senate is not going to be able to pass the CR before Friday. And if you remember Friday midnight is when funding is going to run out and the government's going to shut down and by the way it looks right now they're probably going to have to work through the weekend so a shutdown is inevitable at

this point now what the house does with whatever measure the senate passes and we do expect that whatever senate majority leader chick schumer proposed just a couple of hours ago on a continuing resolution that would fund the government at its current levels will be passed it will probably get enough Republican support at least 10 to get it over the finish line. That will ping pong back to the house where that's where the real drama will begin to see what McCarthy ends up doing in order to get enough support to get it over the finish line. Let's talk a little bit about McCarthy because he is facing a difficult choice in terms of political and what it might mean for his future. He either kind of keeps his job and leans into what the right wing of his party wants

or he works with Democrats to try to pass this stopgap or continuing resolution that is expected to come from the Senate, which McConnell has described as relatively clean, but the details of that are still a little bit in the air. Is there a way out of this for McCarthy where he doesn't lose his job, or is he sort of in this situation where, in some ways, from an outside perspective, it seems like how do you come out of this unscathed, regardless of what he does? I think that's what he's trying to figure out right now. That's what we're witnessing, happen in real time, is him figure out where, what can he do so that he can keep the government funded.

That's what he said. He doesn't want to shut down either. This is really being caused by members of the far right that will not support any sort of legislation. And remember, Ellison, it is a very small majority, razor-thin majority that McCarthy has in the House. and he can only pass legislation able, he can only lose about four to five House Republicans to pass any sort of bill without any Democratic support.

And that's the number that we've seen around four to five that would not support a continuing resolution. So he's going to have to need Democratic support in order to get this over the finish line. Now the problem is he could be ousted by just one member. And it looks like that could really happen. Any sort of House room caucus member, any sort of remember on the right, you know I'm thinking Matt Gates, who has already threatened this before, Dan Bishop, who has threatened this before as well, they could move that procedure to oust him and start a whole roller coaster of rules

that could lead to him not being speaker anymore. And he's aware of that, which is why he's really tiptoeing around, seems like he's really walking on eggshells to figure out how to get this bill passed. We're going to see, just as you are, just as I am going to see how he's going to make this happen. I don't think he has an answer yet. All right, Politico's Daniela Diaz. Thank you so much for being with us tonight. We appreciate it. Now to Philadelphia, where there's strong backlash

after a murder charge against a former police officer who was shot and killed, or who shot and killed a man, rather, during a traffic stop, has now been dropped. A municipal judge determining that shooting was, in their view, justified. The DA's office vowing to appeal. NBC News's Ron Allen has been following the case. Because everyone in Philadelphia seen a murder.

They see my nephew get murdered. Outside of Philadelphia courthouse, emotions running high. This is some bullshit. That's what it is. After a judge dismissed murder and other charges against former Philadelphia police officer, Mark Dyle. It hit everyone car because that's there goes to show that an officer can kill someone in Philadelphia and get away with murder. Dyle's fatal encounter with 27-year-old Eddie Irizare last month occurred during a traffic stop. The whole incident captured on body-worned.

camera footage shown in court. Oh, let me shoot you. The judge ruling it was a justifiable shooting. For the judge to say, lack of evidence, it was wrong because the proof we showed her. It was a murder. That officer used daily force, you know, the windows was up, the doors was locked. Dahl's defense attorney arguing the now fired officer acted in self-defense when he fired his weapon at close range.

This doorbell security video obtained by Irizari's family. An attorney shows the fatal encounter from another angle. 413 shots fired, shots fired, 100 West Willard. Dyle's police partner testifying today that he mistakenly yelled out gun before the fatal shots were fired. Irizare was actually holding this knife. It's heartbreaking. It's a tragedy. My client did everything he could to get him to the hospital to save his life. It's a tragedy, but not a crime.

The district attorney's office vowing this legal battle is not over. I'm angry, but again, it's not about how I feel. The Commonwealth will appeal this decision. Eddie Irizari's family saying they will continue their fight for justice. We're going to keep fighting because he needs to be behind bars. He committed a crime and he needs to pay for it. And Ron Allen joins us now in studio. Ron, when this body camera footage was first released, there was so much outrage.

The family, the DA in Philadelphia, they very clearly thought there was enough evidence in that footage for their. there to be a murder conviction. Why didn't the judge agree? It's very graphic, the video, but the officers essentially argue there's context. There's important things that happen that you don't see on the videotape. They convinced the judge that they actually thought the suspect had a gun, even though he had a knife. They say the knife looked like a gun, that he raised it and pointed it toward them when they approached him. They say that the officers, one of the officers yelled gun before he yelled knife as they approached. They even

testified that as the officer's opening fire, even though he does it within seconds, he's sort of pulling back suggesting that he's fearful of something. And that was their basic argument that they were in fear of their lives. This was a high crime area. The car had been driving erratically, they said, and the judge believed them. So the family and the DA from Philadelphia have appealed. And the next hearing at a higher court is October 25th. And we'll see how that judge weighs all this. Ron Allen, thank you. Next tonight to a landmark lawsuit, the federal government taking on Amazon, accusing the online retail giant of monopolizing the industry, using its power to drive up prices and push out small businesses.

NBC News correspondent Jake Ward has more. Tonight, the Federal Trade Commission is calling the one-stop online marketplace a monopoly, one that illegally smothers competitors and takes money out of your pocket. For this small company selling educational toys online, Amazon is everything. We live and die by Amazon, 90% of our sales. The antitrust suit filed by the FTC and 17 other states today accuses Amazon of forcing sellers to pay unnecessary fees, pushing Amazon's own products even when it knows others are better quality, and manipulating search results to bury products from merchants who sell for less

on other platforms. If your products sell for less off of Amazon on marketplaces like Walmart, they will suppress your products on Amazon. In a statement, Amazon says we don't highlight or promote offers that are not competitively priced. Amazon controls as much as 50% of the online retail market, according to a 2020 House Judiciary report. And the move follows urging from the president earlier this year. Pass the bipartisan legislation to strengthen antitrust enforcement and prevent big online platforms giving their own products an unfair advantage. But it also follows a string of recent defeats for the Federal Trade Commission. The sticks for the FTC are significant and it's trying to prove this case using new theories that it thinks are well suited to our new

modern economy. The suit asks the court to make Amazon stop doing business the way they have, and according to the FTC, would give you more affordable choices online. But Amazon says if the FTC gets its way, it'll mean fewer products to choose from, higher prices, slower deliveries, and reduced options for small businesses. Jake Ward, NBC News, San Francisco. Heading overseas now to the conflict in Azerbaijan, thousands of ethnic Armenians fleeing the war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh region after suffering intense shows. shelling there. Many injured, starved, and exhausted from years of unrest, and now an explosion at a fuel depot, killing dozens. NBC News, foreign correspondent Matt Bradley, has the latest.

They're arriving by the thousands. A growing exodus of ethnic Armenians from the besieged breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. All of us were crying, and I want to cry right now as I speak, this woman said, because I left everything. 20,000 displaced civilians have arrived in Armenia, according to its government, after enduring and intense two days of Azerbaijani shelling and fighting. Many of them were injured, others starved by Azerbaijan's 10-month blockade. It was a nightmare. There are no words to describe it, said this woman.

The village was heavily shelled. Almost no one is left in the village. And last night, an added tragedy. An explosion at a fuel depot killed at least 68 people and injured scores more. These refugees have lost more than their homes. They've also lost their homeland. For many, this exodus marks a final defeat after decades of conflict. Separatist leaders accepted a surrender agreement on Tuesday that gave Azerbaijan full control

of the region. Those people are really exhausted and that there is a lot of malnutrition. So it's really hard for them even to just walk or arrive here. Journalist Astriga Gopian was at the Armenian border with Azerbaijan today, reporting on the refugees. Many of them are from villages, which were taken by the Azerbaijani army, so they really lost their homes already. And there is really this feeling that this time is different.

It's another war, but it's a war that is definitely lost this time. Many are calling the Armenians flight an example of ethnic cleansing, including Armenia's prime minister. The Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh continue to face danger of ethnic cleansing, he said. In recent days, humanitarian aid arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh, but it didn't change the situation. Samantha Power, the head of America's USAID, declined to use that term. But she cited troubling reports of violence against civilians and pledged 11.5 million in American humanitarian aid.

Azerbaijan's government has said Armenians are safe to remain in the enclave. But after decades of war in a crippling blockade, few Armenians believed them. The war was among a number of ethnic conflicts left in the wake of the breakup of the Soviet Union. Russia historically backed Armenia and deployed a peacekeeper. being forced to the region after a brokered peace in 2020. But lately, Armenia has made overtures to the West, antagonizing Moscow. And Russia may feel it has more to gain from Azerbaijan and its access to oil and pipelines. The pivotal factor was that Azerbaijan was talking separately to the Russians

and has a joint agenda with the Russians to pressure Armenia and also to keep the West out of the Caucasus. But regardless of who's to blame, for many here, this conflict and the dream of an Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh have already been lost. Yeah, Alison, it looks like this war is finally over, but the next political conflict that we might see is actually against the Armenian Prime Minister. Many of the Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh are outraged at the Armenian Prime Minister. They say that he needlessly antagonized Russia by cozying up to the West and that the Russians then subsequently abandoned them, and that then he capitulated in the face of Azerbaijani aggression. Alison. Matt Bradley, thank you.

Sillah had tonight the desperate search for a missing teenager in Minnesota. The 15-year-old indigenous girl last seen in 2021, the volunteers now stepping up to ramp up that search. Plus, drive-through shooting why this jack-in-the-box worker opened fire on a customer at the window, the menu item they were allegedly fighting over, and a dangerous rescue in New York City. The dramatic effort to get this person to safety, hundreds of feet above the ground,

stay with us. We're back with the search for a Minnesota teenage girl who's been missing for two years. The 15-year-old was last seen in October 2021, but local organizations and law enforcement have not stopped looking for her. Now there's a new search effort by more than 100 people hoping to find something that can bring her family a bit of closure.

Valerie Castro has this story. A Minnesota community not giving up hope in the search for a missing teenager. I'm hoping that we get some answers for every one of us. 15-year-old Nevea Kingbird vanishing nearly two years ago, but the efforts to find her now growing more intense. Now we have an opportunity to go back with literally a different set of eyes, different people that see things differently. More than 100 volunteers, including local indigenous groups, joining law enforcement for a large scale, two-day search to scour 150 acres of land. It's incredibly encouraging seeing so many people. I think it's actually more people than I was anticipating, which is, I mean, what could be better?

That's what you want to see, right? Nevea's mother, pushing through to find her daughter. I'm just living a nightmare right now, and I don't feel like I feel like I'm still where she left me. But at the same time, I'm doing my best to be productive. Police say the teen was last seen leaving a home with friends in October of 2021, wearing skinny jeans and Nike sandals. A dozen searches have been conducted since her disappearance, but this one covering some new ground around the Bimidgee area, about three and a half hours north of Minneapolis, and uncovering items of interest. Some items have been located, and we'll have those sent to a lab to be analyzed to see if they are pertinent to the need. investigation or not. Law enforcement hoping the efforts shine a light on the estimated

4,200 missing and murdered indigenous people across the country. A big part of this, a big part of the conversation in our community is the lack of national coverage for at least children, especially indigenous children in our community. They go missing. And some of the concern or some of the perception is that they're not, they're not as important. And that's simply not true. Something Nevea's community knows all too well. The whereabouts of their treasured daughter, sister and niece, still yet to be revealed. It doesn't get easier. I try my best to just try to move on with life and keep, you know, her and my prayers and talk about her all the time. An NBC news correspondent Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. Valerie, this search team,

they are also looking for another missing indigenous teen, right? What can you tell us? Yeah, Ellison, so that case is a little bit older, but police say 17-year-old Jeremy Jordan went missing in 2016 on Halloween night, the same area where Nevea was also last seen. So naturally, it only makes sense that search teams are also looking for any clues in his case. Police say they might not be able to cover that large search area by the end of today, so they say there will likely be more community searches planned in the future.

All right. Valerie Castro, thank you for bringing us that important. reporting. We appreciate it. Now to the urgent manhunt taking place in Baltimore, a 26-year-old tech CEO found murdered in an apartment building on Monday. Now, police say they are conducting an all-out search for a suspect who is considered armed and dangerous. NBC news correspondent Imli Aketa has that story. Tonight, an urgent man hunt for an armed and dangerous man who police say killed a 26-year-old tech CEO. This individual will kill and he will rape. He will do anything he can to cause harm. Police imploring people in Baltimore to be careful with 32-year-old Jason Billingsley.

Every single police officer in Baltimore City, the state of Maryland, as well as the U.S. Marshals, are looking for you. We will find you. He's accused of murdering Forbes 30 under 30 honorary Pavel LaPere. A PAVA CEO and founder of EcoMap Technologies. A Baltimore-based company, LaPere founded while a student at Johns Hopkins University. On Monday, Baltimore police found the 26-year-old dead and apartment with signs of blunt force trauma shortly after she was reported missing. They do not

believe Lapeer knew her killer. Friends say she lived above EcoMap's office, her death, a total shock to coworkers. EcoMap calling her a visionary, writing today the circumstances surrounding Pava's death are deeply distressing. This is a homicide investigation. How do you even begin to make sense of that, this 26-year-old rising star in the tech industry? You don't. there's nothing to, there's no sense to be made of it. Venture capitalist and mentor Matt Conwell helped LaPere secure funding when she first started her company. Abba was that person who was always smiling, always optimistic, and always looking to help

others. Billingsley has a lengthy rap sheet, including sex offense, assault, and robbery convictions. He was released on parole last fall. Ellison. Emily Aketa, thank you. When we come back, another arrest in the overdose death of a toddler at a New York City daycare. The husband of the daycare owner now in custody nearly two weeks after he fled the scene,

where he was finally tracked down after crossing the southern border. Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with an update in the fentanyl death of a toddler at a New York City daycare. The husband of that daycare owner was arrested by authorities in Mexico. Three sources telling NBC, New York, he was taken into custody by police and a DEA agent while on a bus in Sinaloa. Authorities say fentanyl, other drugs, and paraphernalia were found inside that daycare where a one-year-old died of an overdose earlier this month. A Houston family suing Jack in the Box after an employee was caught on camera shooting at a drive-thru. Newly released surveillance video shows the worker throwing sauce packets in an argument that the suit claims was about missing, eyes. Then the worker pulls out a gun from her pocket and fires several shots as the customers

drive away. No one was hurt, but the employee was arrested and pleaded guilty to deadly conduct. And the dangerous rescue of a man who was threatening to jump off of a New York Bridge, body camera footage capturing the moments NYPD officers climbed up to the man who was hundreds of feet above the East River during rainy and windy conditions. The officers eventually convinced him to come down and used to harness to help him. get to the crew below. If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Turning now to a new report from the CDC drug overdoses from fake pills, often laced with fentanyl are on the rise.

The number of deaths more than doubling from 2019 to 2021 and largely impacting younger adults. Here's NBC's Marissa Para with the toll it's taking on families. These photos are all Elizabeth Dillander has to keep her son's memory alive. He's the funniest person I've ever met in my life. He didn't have an enemy. He just made everybody laugh. 20-year-old Cade Webb was athletic. He loved skateboarding and snowboarding.

And above all else, he was excited to become a father. But just weeks before his daughter was born, Cade's mother got the call she'd been dreading for years. His stepmom just called me screaming. like screams that you never want to hear. On December 3rd, 2021, Cade lost his battle with addiction. He died in Roseville, California, found collapsed in a Safeway bathroom. And they found my son, the detective had contacted us and said that they had the pills

tested that were with Cade and that they had detected fentanyl. Dillander is now part of a club she never asked to be in. Their grieving loved ones left behind from overdose. It robbed my family of a really great future. Kaylee Dugger's fiance, Jake Carter, was about to turn 24 years old. They were expecting a baby and a new life together. But the night before his birthday, Carter died in his sleep and another child was robbed of a parent. Every time I look at my daughter, I'm reminded that he should be here when she hits milestones.

You know, I don't have him here to share that moment with him. These are the stories that the Centers for Disease Control says are only growing with time. In a September report, the CDC says the numbers of drug overdose deaths from fake pills have more than doubled. From 2019 to 2021, it's gone from 2% to 4.7. And the majority of deaths among people younger than age 35, just like Jake. He had been looking for oxycodone, and then we got the autopsy report like four months later. And he had 10 times the lethal amount of fentanyl in his system. The CDC says fake pills are often laced with fentanyl, illegally disguised as anti-anxiety meds or painkillers, and often bought on the streets or from friends.

Dillander says her son thought he was buying from someone he could trust. I think he mildly considered him a friend at the time and have requested some percassette, and it wasn't. It was fentanyl. And he died instantly. Experts say not only does fennel make illicit drugs more powerful, fennel makes the process for sellers cheaper. It's easy to store. It's easy to transport. And there's a very limited regulatory oversight over the components necessary to make it. The odorless and scentless nature of fennel makes buying on prescribed drugs an increasingly deadly gamble. Taking an illicit pill is like playing Russian roulette.

And for Dillander, it cost her family everything. I had to kiss my son in a casket. I had to brush his banks off his forehead and hold his cold hand and realize that staring at his face was the last time I would ever see it. Since Kate's death, his mom has tried to find new meaning. She started a podcast called Dear Fentanyl, a goodbye letter. I really hope that this will be impactful and an avenue to make change to save lives. The same name of the letter Cade penned from rehab. In it, the warning signs she wished she'd spotted earlier.

I'm the worst outcome possible. So if I have one thing that I could share with somebody to make a difference in their life or save their child, it's whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to spare someone else the pain she lives through every day. Rissapara, NBC News. Coming up, a Beyonce fan with cerebral palsy, forced to miss her concert. an airline telling him they could not fit his electric-powered wheelchair on the plane. And there were no other flights out. How total strangers online and Beyonce herself made sure he eventually made it to the show.

Back now with Top Story's Global Watch and we begin with the deadly shootout in northern Kosovo. Drone footage released by Kosovo's national police shows a group of about 30 masked gunmen storming, a Serbian Orthodox monastery. Officials say the group believed to be ethnic Serbians fled to the monastery, rather, after there was an ambush on a police patrol that left one officer dead. After an hour's long standoff,

three of the gunmen were killed by police. It is one of the most violent confrontations in Kosovo since the country declared independence from Serbia back in 2008. In Guatemala, devastating floods in the country's capital, city homes were washed away after heavy rains caused the Naran River to overflow in the middle of the night, bursting the dam and triggering a catastrophic

landslide. At least six people were killed and 13 are still missing. Most of them, children. Search and rescue efforts are still underway. And Shakira has been hit with tax evasion charges in Spain for a second time. Spanish prosecutors now charging the pop star with failing to pay nearly $7 million in taxes on her 2018 income. They're alleging she used an offshore company to avoid paying taxes. She is already due in a Spanish court in November on a separate tax case. She has denied any wrongdoing. Now, the unforgettable experience for one Beyonce fan, an organ man with cerebral palsy, turned away from a flight to a concert because the plane could not accommodate his wheelchair. But once the B.I. I've heard his story online, they acted. They came together to give him

the moment he'd waited 25 years for. Maya Eagland has this incredible story. An Oregon man's dream trip gone in an instant. Well, I guess I'm not going to Seattle and I'm not seeing Beyonce. John Hetherington, who has cerebral palsy, booked in Alaska Airlines flight from Eugene to Seattle to see Beyonce live in concert. But when he arrived, the attendants told him they could not accommodate his electric powered wheelchair. They tell me that my chair is apparently four inches too tall to be loaded in. onto the plane. The Department of Transportation only requires airlines to transport manual wheelchairs in the cabin of an aircraft. In a statement to NBC News, Alaska Airlines saying, we feel terrible

about our guests' travel experience with us. We tried to reaccommodate our guests on another flight, but no viable options were available. People with disabilities have challenges every single day, and the lack of accessible air travel is just unfortunately one more hurdle. Heatherington, to social media, telling his story to his 23,000 TikTok followers. Abelism strikes again. The video going viral, racking up more than 100,000 views. Beyonce fans sharing the video with Queen B herself, Jay-Z, and her team. Then the moment Hetherington thought would never come.

Beyonce's team arranging for Hetherington to travel to Texas for another show and scoring him floor seats. Other fans recognizing him, cheering him on as he entered the stadium. Heatherington sharing this image from the concert, telling his followers, we partied, we sang, we danced. Beehive, you made this happen. Hetherington meeting Beyonce's mother, Tina Knowles, posing for a picture with Beyonce's backup dancers, receiving a pair of drumsticks from the concert signed by the drummer Diamond Johnson. And then this, Beyonce herself, stopping by to meet and embrace her devoted fans. His image now adorning her tour website.

An irreplaceable memory for John that's also bringing awareness to challenges Americans with disabilities face every day. Maya Eklund, NBC News. When we come back, a remarkable story of perseverance, a teen born with a rare genetic condition, undergoing years of failed surgeries and treatments to restore his vision, the moment a medical breakthrough changed everything. That's next. Finally tonight, a year's long journey for a young boy from Cuba has taken a remarkable turn in Miami. Antonio Veneto was born with a rare genetic condition that affects his skin and eyesight.

After years of failed surgeries, a groundbreaking treatment giving Antonio a sight back. NBC's Sam Brock has this story. This weekly visit to the doctor's office for Antonio Vento and his mom, UNI. We have to be very careful every time we touch the skin, the eyes. Not only allows the 14-year-old to see things in a whole different light. It also represents a new chapter in their lives that seemed impossible only a couple years ago. How did this change your life? He changed my life too much. I can see better. Everything. The road from despair to breakthrough wasn't easy. This is a condition where patients do not produce on their cells.

the right type of collagen seven. So collagen seven is a very important protein that anchors the surface of the skin. Dr. Alfonso Sabater is describing a rare illness called D.E.B that started with Antonio's skin, but ultimately took his eyesight. A simple touch anywhere on the body can cause severe bruising and blistering,

which is why he's wrapped in gauce. Uni only uses one word to describe this transformation that took place a year ago, from scarring to near 2020 vision in Antonio's right eye. It's a miracle, or miracle. It was a lot of joy. It's an emotional, very, very, very, mozionante. It's an incredible moment when your son can see absolutely nothing

and then recognizes your face. Antonio loves video games, especially Minecraft, where he can construct objects and environments that he can now see. His success story started with the humanitarian visa from Cuba when Antonio was just four years old, years of failed treatment and surgeries, and then an idea from Dr. Sabater. Why not take the gene therapy treatment developed by a doctor at Stanford that seemed to be working on Antonio's skin and adapted? To your knowledge, is this the first time anywhere in the world where this gene therapy has been applied topically to someone's eyes? To my knowledge, yes.

Talk to me about the manipulation you're doing with the genes themselves. Our cells, they have like an instructions manual inside. So in the case of Antonio, the instructions are wrong. So instead, Sabatera inserts the right instructions through an inactive virus into Antonio's cells through weekly eyedrops at the University of Miami Health System's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. The results speak for themselves. It's a feeling of happiness that he experiences every day.

So does his mom. Who gets emotional just talking about her son, regaining his vision. There are no words to express what we have gone through, and Dr. Sabater is officially a member of the family. What does the doctor, Dr. Sabater, how important is he to you? Very important. I love him. A young man on a mission that could prove eye-opening for so many others.

Our thanks to Sam Brock for that story. And thank you at home so much for watching Top Story. For Tom Yamis, I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there. More news now is on the way.